


Closer

by pastel_dawn



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Love Confessions, it follows the supports at first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27743992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastel_dawn/pseuds/pastel_dawn
Summary: "Whoever you might be, come in. I promise I won't bite. Not this time, at least… can't say for the next."Robin blushed at those words and lifted up the tent's flap. Tharja was inside, all climbed up on a chair, reading a book with glasses on."Robin? Weird, you usually never come here. Not that anyone ever does, in fact." Tharja stated, closing said book and taking off her glasses. "What might bring your pure, candid soul into the dark witch's hut?""I… huh." Robin began, not knowing what to say. "I came here for… erm.""Hm. Crow got your tongue?"Robin squeaked."I came here to… say something."Or, getting used to Tharja hadn't been easy at first, but when Robin did something new stemmed inside her.
Relationships: My Unit | Reflet | Robin/Sallya | Tharja
Comments: 11
Kudos: 33





	Closer

To Robin, having Tharja always around had been a little bit difficult at first.

When they first met, the plegian mage had taken a liking in her for some reason. Robin couldn't really put a finger on it: she was a normal girl, after all. A skilled tactician and an excellent mage, sure, but overall just a normal girl fighting for Ylisse. So the first time she noticed Tharja staring at her from behind a tree, she got really curious, but also a bit scared.

"Tharja…? What are you doing there?" Robin asked, closing the Elthunder magic tome she was studying. 

"Nothing." The reply came quick, and dry. Sounded almost indifferent. Robin nodded and just got back to do what she was doing, but Tharja was still there. And there she stayed, until Robin finally got up at sunset.

In the following days, Robin felt eyes on her all the time. Whenever she would study, eat, even just before going to sleep - in her _own_ tent, she wondered how could that even be possible - she felt a stare pierce her back and she could bet, that was because of Tharja. 

To prove it, she once tried to call her name out loud. Tharja actually answered the call.

"Yes?" Tharja's voice came from behind. The girl's head was slightly low, like she always kept it. Robin couldn't see her eyes, even if they were standing close.

"Are you following me, Tharja?"

"...maybe."

That had been her answer. Tharja admitted to having followed her for weeks now and confessed the desire to take care of her. Robin facepalmed at the thought of not having been able to notice earlier. She felt shivers running down her spine. Tharja wasn't the most… _reassuring_ person in the army, so to say. So she tried to put a stop to it and tell Tharja to behave normally. And Tharja, apparently, listened.

...

In the next few days, Robin didn't feel stared at anymore. She was satisfied with herself. Tharja had stopped following her, so she was able to breathe again. But then, she noticed that Tharja wasn't behaving normally at all.

The girl was acting like a giggly, blushy mess. How did Tharja go from mysterious, cold and slightly creepy sorcerer to _that,_ Robin couldn't know. Was there something weird in the air? Maybe one of the mage's experiments went wrong? Or maybe, she realized, that was her fault. 

"Tharja… I'm sorry." Robin apologized, right after Tharja fed her the pie she made for her. "You didn't have to feel forced to… behave like _this._ I should have measured my words. I wronged you."

"What are you sorry for? Hihi… I did it for you after all, sweetie." 

That fake smile on Tharja was even creepier than her evil stare. Robin grabbed her shoulders and tried to find her eyes, not to avail. Tharja always kept her stare low. 

"Listen... I'm sorry. Please, forget what I said last time. I don't want you to force yourself to act like someone you are not. The true Tharja is much better."Robin said softly, still feeling guilty for what she did.

Tharja didn't say anything at first. Something in Robin's stomach swirled. Maybe Tharja was silently hexing her? No, it was something different. Other than the guilt feeling, there was something else, more unknown. She reluctantly released her grip on Tharja's shoulder, noticing her pale face getting red.

"You… do you really like the usual me more?" Tharja asked in a low voice, still not meeting her gaze. The mage tightened her grip on the book she kept at chest level.

"I do. I really do."

"Hehehe…"

The usual smile appeared on the sorcerer's face. Tharja said no more. She just turned her back and left, and Robin stayed still on the spot, wondering why she was feeling so weird.

A thought lingered in the back of her mind.

_Tharja felt warm._

_…_

Tharja got back to following her and Robin started to like it more that way.

The tactician got even better at spotting her presence everywhere and whenever, and it became a constant in her life. Her opinion on Tharja definitely changed with time. She observed her more on the battlefield and noticed the care with which the mage protected all of her allies, even if Tharja would rather let her own head fall off than ever admitting it out loud. Robin noticed the way she especially watched over her and couldn't feel more grateful. Also, the tactician's eagle eyes allowed her to watch over Tharja herself, as she wanted to repay the favor. That, obviously, implied her throwing numerous thunder spells with all her might at everyone who even _dared_ approaching Tharja from behind. She was sure the mage noticed. Oh well, all the better.

Robin even got the habit to call her, ask her questions, chat with her about everything. Tharja was smart and had vast knowledge, always had an opinion on every topic, and Robin loved listening to her. An usual routine of theirs became talking about magic spells and how to use them more successfully. Robin even suggested combining their spells in battle and Tharja, as usual, blushed. Yet, she never held Robin's gaze for more than two seconds. 

Those were busy days. There was much to do, and they hardly ever stopped fighting. The army was getting weary, and Chrom and her decided to let everyone rest for a few days, as they had a precious and rare occasion to do so. Robin herself was not feeling so well that day. Her eyes were burning and she could hardly keep them open. She was walking to her tent after dinner. Chrom told her she looked really tired, and he was right. She was feeling… so tired…

Her legs wobbled and gave up. Robin collapsed on the ground, before she got the chance to hear Tharja's voice shouting her name.

…

"This herb goes in… then I have to stir until it gets clearer. A little bit of… oh?"

Robin's eyes slowly opened. She felt a cold cloth on her forehead and her coat had been removed and neatly folded on a chair. She apparently was in her own tent, and laying in her own bed, under her blanket. She sat up and her head spun. Her gaze fell on Tharja, who was stirring something in a pot heated with magic.

"You're awake." Tharja stated as a matter of fact, like she was talking about scientific evidence. 

"What happened?" Robin asked, massaging her temples. "I feel like crap…"

"You're running a fever. Before you ask, no, it wasn't me. You exhausted yourself." Tharja spilled whatever potion she was preparing into a cup and got up to bring it to her. "And again, before you ask, no. I'm not trying to poison or drug you. Drink this."

Robin chuckled. "I'd never accuse you of anything like that, Tharja." She thanked the mage and took the cup in her hands, cringing at the foul smell the warm liquid emanated. "Ew…"

"It tastes better than you think. It will lower your temperature and help you regain strength." 

Robin did her best to gulp it down. Tharja was right, it tasted better than it smelled. Still, it was bitter, but nothing extremely terrible. The drink warmed up her body in a pleasant way and she was sure Tharja infused magic in it, because she felt tingles.

"Tharja?" Robin called, catching the attention of the mage. Then, out of instinct, she stretched her body to plant a kiss on Tharja's cheek, which inflamed quickly.

"W-what was that for?!" Tharja was noticeably flustered. Robin learned with time that under the mask Tharja was indeed a really shy girl, and that was a trait she found adorable. It made her look human, even if the mage despised to show herself vulnerable. Or the slightest bit fragile, for that matter.

"It was a _thank you_. A more serious one, I'd say."

Robin's emotions were about to make her do or say something rushed, maybe. But they were hard to keep at bay, especially when she felt so damn grateful. 

"I noticed how you protect me on the battlefield. The way you care for me. I can feel it, and…" Robin seeked Tharja's hand with her own and squeezed it. "I… please, stay close, Tharja. Forever. I mean it."

Tharja stayed still, like a statue. Robin drew her thumb on her hand, hoping to convey her sincerest feelings. Then she felt the mage slightly returning her squeeze, and even if her face was turned away, Robin could feel the emotions swirling under her mask.

"... I'll stay."

...

Strangely enough, the following day Tharja was nowhere near her.

They had an important battle to fight in just a few days, and Robin's mind was already back to work, even if she had just recovered from her fever - much thanks to Tharja's concoction, to speak the truth -, but the mage's absence was concerning to her. Especially after what she said to Robin the previous night.

_I'll stay._

But then, where was she? Maybe Tharja needed a bit of time for herself. Robin sometimes forgot that, in fact, no one ever bothered Tharja's privacy. And that Tharja actually _had_ her privacy and wasn't there twenty-four hours per day. When the sorcerer wasn't around, she was probably experimenting with stuff in her tent. Sometimes, strange fog and smells would come out of it, and no one ever dared asking.

Confiding that Tharja was fine and just minding her business, Robin walked in the book tent. Strategies didn't study themselves, after all, and she had a duty to perform.

But hours later Robin hadn't gotten anywhere with her strategies. Her mind was too distracted. Something was missing and that something probably had a Tharja-like shape. The acute mind of the mage was a huge help and while Robin could come up with good schemes on her own perfectly fine, she liked much more debating with Tharja to come up with solutions. So Robin got up and left the books open on the table, confiding to come back to them later.

The tactician made a beeline for the sorcerer's tent and stopped right at the entrance. She cleared her throat lightly and swallowed the lump stuck in it. Her stomach was doing somersaults. She hadn't seen Tharja just for less than a day, though, so where was that nervousness coming from?

_Come on, Robin. Don't be such a coward._

As she was about to announce herself, Tharja's voice came from inside the tent.

"Whoever you might be, come in. I promise I won't bite. Not this time, at least… can't say for the next." 

Robin blushed at those words and lifted up the tent's flap. Tharja was inside, all climbed up on a chair, reading a book with glasses on. The first thing Robin thought was that she looked really cute.

"Robin? Weird, you usually never come here. Not that anyone ever does, in fact." Tharja stated, closing said book and taking off her glasses. "What might bring your pure, candid soul into the dark witch's hut?" 

Robin took a few steps inside and looked around her. She expected Tharja's tent to be more… _peculiar_ then the others, but instead it looked fairly normal. The only differences were the pots scattered around and the talismans hung on the walls. 

"I… huh." Robin began, not knowing what to say. She surely had come here to ask Tharja's help for her strategies, but there was more than that to it and the tactician knew it well. She wondered if telling the truth would make her feel lighter, or at least let her regain a bit of focus on her duties.

Tharja was waiting expectantly and Robin couldn't help but staring at her own feet, fidgeting nervously. "I came here for… erm."

 _Oh, come on! Say it, say it!_ _Why is this so hard?_

"Hm." Tharja stood up, and Robin's stomach tightened even more. It was getting harder by the minute. "Crow got your tongue?"

Robin squeaked. She had to think fast or she might upset Tharja, after all she came here and disturbed her alone time. It was like the tables had turned, now she was the flustered one while Tharja was perfectly fine.

"I came here to… say something. It's important." Robin's head spun and a blush crept up to her ears. Tharja made a step closer - but kept the usual distance -. Then, Robin thought it was now or never. She couldn't turn tail and run away. That would definitely anger the mage. 

"I couldn't take you off my mind, Tharja."

She raised her head to see the sorcerer's eyes open wide. 

"What do you mean?"

Now that Robin started, the lump in her throat became easier to swallow.

"I mean that I keep thinking about you and I can't focus on my duties."

Robin took a step closer. Tharja didn't budge an inch. She was staring at the ground and very much blushing. Robin dared offering her hand hoping Tharja would take it.

"I couldn't put a finger on my feelings. They were confusing me, I couldn't understand what was happening to me. But I got it now. You are everything I can think about."

Robin was closing in on the mage, who was not moving and looked redder by the minute. The tactician hoped she was being able to convey her feelings well and had a desperate need to touch Tharja, to _feel her._ She was close enough to brush away Tharja's bangs which were covering her eyes.

"Look at me?"

Slowly, the mage raised her gaze. Robin cupped her cheek with her hand and put the other on her shoulder. 

"Your eyes are so beautiful." Robin whispered. "I'd stare at them forever if you'd let me."

Tharja let out a tiny squeak which was the most uncharacteristic sound Robin had ever heard her making. But it probably was another, hidden part of Tharja's whole self, something Robin was keen on uncovering.

"You understand what I'm implying, right, Tharja? What I'm trying to say…" 

Tharja just nodded, unable to say a word. A tornado of emotions must have been swirling around inside her.

Robin, now relentless and determined, asked a last question. The most important.

"Will you be mine?"

A harsh breath intake, a shifting movement, the hint of a single tear rolling down. Tharja's features seemed different now. Sweeter. 

"I already am." Tharja replied in the tiniest voice ever and Robin's eyes lightened up. She slipped both her arms around Tharja's waist and pulled her impossibly close, a newly discovered happiness pulling the corners of her mouth into the fondest smile she ever made.

Robin felt an undescribable surge of happiness, those swirling emotions inside of her were finally shaped into something concrete. The physical contact with Tharja only confirmed it. Those feelings, once nameless, now had a name. 

"I thought…" Tharja hesitated. "I thought you would despise a witch like me. I'm hateful, vengeful, and I love to hex whoever I don't like, and I usually never like anyone. And you…"

"I want you to stay nonetheless." 

A grin, the usual grin, appeared on Tharja's face, and she cackled. 

"Hehe… hehehe… I made you fall for me!" Robin shook her head, humming a _no-no._

"We fell together."

…

When Tharja woke up the following morning, she found herself nestled into Robin's cozy coat.

 _Aren't you cold?_ Robin asked her the previous evening, referring to the fact Tharja was often dressed lightly. Tharja replied she was _always_ cold, in a way. But for the first time in her life, she felt indeed warm. Never better, actually.

She nuzzled her nose into the coat, the gentle scent of soap quite different from the usual smells her concoctions left lingering in the air. But after a minute of bliss she noticed something was amiss.

_Where is Robin?_

She raised herself on her arm and scanned the room. It was empty.

"Robin?" She called, to no avail. "Where are you?"

"Argh…"

A voice came from… the floor?

Tharja quickly peeked down just to find Robin laying there, face scrunched and a hand on her back.

"What?" She snorted, not believing that sight. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"Huh...?" Robin looked confused, having probably just woken up. "Ah… so this is why the mattress felt so hard. It wasn't the mattress… damn, my back."

An awkward silence fell in the tent and after a minute of just staring at each other, they both started laughing like crazy. Robin had actual tears in her eyes and even Tharja had never laughed so hard. 

"How did you end up like that? I can't believe it."

"Haha… it happens often, love." The tactician stood up and quickly tackled Tharja on the bed, who was still wearing her coat, catching her by surprise.

"But I'm glad I made you laugh."

Robin kissed her.


End file.
